Constructing framing of bridges



'side of the said series of bars.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W. MCKIBBIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CONSTRUCTING- FRAMING 0F BRIDGES, 650.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 19,573, dated March 9*, 18158.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MCKIBBIN, of the city of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California,

have invented a new and useful Method ofv Combining Metal Bars and Plates to be Used' in the Construction of Bridges and other` Structures; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figures l and 2 are elevations of opposite sides of one panel of an iron bridgegirder, in which my invention is applied. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same, in the'line x, m, of Figs. l and 2. Fig. t is a horizontal section in line y, y, of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6, are detail views.

Similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention consists in a novel and very simple method of clamping and securing together the ends of metal bars and of uniting plates with the said bars, by which great strength isobtained.

The invention is applicable in almost all cases where it is required to connect the ends of iron bars whether or not it is required to combine plates with the said bars.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, A, are a series of iat iron bars arranged edgewise one above the other and united to form part of the bridge girder. B is a plate iron sheathing, covering one As the bars A, A, extend the whole lengt-h of the bridge, each has to be composed of several lengths or sections united at their ends; and the mode in which these lengths or sections are united and combined with the sheathing plate constitutes my invention.

The ends of two lengths which are to be connected are bent at right angles to the length of the bar to form lugs a, a, as shown in Figs. 4: and 5, and narrow slots are cut through the ends as shown at Z2, o, in Fig.

5to receive a wedge or taper key c. Between the lugs a, 0;, of the two lengths of bar iron A, A, is fitted a plate C, of which a separate view' is given in Fig. 6, and which is also shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, and whose width is the same as the width of the bars A, A, the said plate containing a long slot d, of a proper width to receive the wedge or key c. A plate D, (or piece of iron similar to that of which the bars A, A, is composed,) is placed against the opposite side of the joint to that on which the lugs a, a, project, and this plate D is slotted for the plate C, to pass through it. When the plate C is placed between the lugs a, a, and the plate D, applied, the wedge or key c, is inserted through the slots b, and cl, of the lugs and plate C, and aV wedge e, is inserted in the slot (Z, outside, of the plate D, and when both wedges are driven tight, `the joint between the two lengths of bars A, A, is secure. The sheathing B, when used is simply applied close to the bars A, A, on either side, holes being provided in the sheathing for t-he plates C, C, or for said plates and lugs a, a, to pass through, according to which side of the bars the sheathing is required. When a series of several bars are to be combined by arranging them together edgewise, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, the plates D, D, are intended to be long enough to lie across the whole series or several of said bars, and to serve for two joints, as shown in igs. l and 2; but if a single line of bars only are intended to be united, these plates need only be long enough to cover one joint.

kWhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

The combination of the slotted lugs a, a,

on the ends of the bars, the slotted plates C, and D, and the wedges or keys c, e, substantially as described, for the purpose setforth.

WM. MCKIBBIN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE C. MOON, E. C. SPALDING. 

